Rock bucket for earth drilling



June 19, 1962 B. R. GLovER 3,039,547

ROCK BUCKET FOR EARTH DRILLING Filed Sept. 12, 195,8

IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent O s,e39,s47 ROCK BUCKET FR EARTH DRILLING Billy Roy Glover, El Monte, Calif. (718 Sandsprings Drive, La Puente, Calif.) Filed sept. 12, 195s, ser. No. 760,715) 6 Claims. (Cl. 175-251) This invention relates generally to earth drilling apparatus, more particularly, it relates to an improved rock bucket for use with such apparatus in removing relatively large rocks and the like to permit drilling past such rocks.

The rock bucket of the present invention is 4adapted to be utilized with excavating equipment of a conventional rotary type commonly used for drilling holes for various purposes, such as to accommodate concrete columns or foundations or to provide wells or cesspools. This rotary type of equipment is commonly referred to as a caisson drill rig.

Heretofore, bucket-type earth-boring drills of various types have been utilized. Conventionally, the buckets have cutting blades on their bottoms and are provided with bottom openings to permit relatively small rocks and objects to be received into the bucket. Upon encountering a relatively large rock or other object, a common practice has been to remove the drilling bucket from the bore being drilled and to lower a rock bucket particularly designed to be repeatedly dropped upon the rock or object. After the rock has been broken into pieces by repeated impacts of the chopping bucket or rock bucket, the chopping bucket is removed from the bore being drilled and is replaced with the drilling bucket which is capable of receiving the smaller pieces through its bottom openings. This conventional technique of utilizing a chopping bucket is characterized by certain disadvantages and shortcomings. Among these is the fact that considerable time and labor have been required in breaking up and removing rocks in this manner. The service life of chopping buckets has been relatively shor-t. Other disadvantages are well known to those versed in the art.

The rock bucket of the present invention utilizes a cylindrical drilling bucket having drilling means on its lower edge, in which arcuate jaws are hingedly mounted in a novel manner which permits the bucket to drill down about a rock or object sufliciently far so that the hinged jaws may be urged inwardly to grasp the 'rock or object. With the rock or object thus grasped, it may be lifted with the rockbucket from the bore being drilled.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved equipment for removing relatively large rocks or objects from a bore being drliled by earth drilling apparatus.

An object of this invention is the provision of an improved rock bucket capable of cutting down about a rock or object and of grasping the rock or object while the rock bucket is removed from a bore being drilled.

lt is an object of this invention to provide a rock bucket having jaw means hingedly mounted within a casing at points which enable the jaw means to grasp a rock or object within the casing after the bucket has cut into the earth about the rock or object.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an improved rock bucket wherein a cylindrical casing has cutting teeth at its lower edge and in which a pair of arcuate jaws are hingedly mounted, whereby the bucket is operable to drill into the earth about an object so that the hinged jaws may be urged to grasp the object for removal.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved rock bucket wherein movable head means within the bucket are connected to jaws hingedly mounted within the bucket to urge the jaws inwardly to grasp an object upon lifting of the bucket.

"ice

Other objects and features of the present invention, as well as many advantages thereof, will become apparent to those skille-d in the ar-t from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims, and the accompartying drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a diagrammatic view of a truck mounted caison drill rig showing the rock bucket of the present invention in operative relation therewith;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a rock bucket according tothe present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the rock bucket taken at line 3--3 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the rock bucket of this invention taken at line 4-4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a view, similar to the view of FIGURE 4, showing a rock being grasped by hinged jaws utilized as parts of the apparatus of this invention.

Referring to the drawing, FIGURE l diagrammatically illustrates a caisson drill rig mounted on a truck 10. A boom 12 is pivotally mounted on the truck and its angular position is adjustable by a turnbuckle arrangement (not shown). A cable 14 is attached to the boom, as shown, and i-s adjustable -by a windlass 16 to secure the boom. A sheave or pulley 20 accommodates a cable 22, by means of which loads may be raised or lowered by a powerdriven windlass or windlasses 24.

Extending from the rear of the truck are a conventional electric ring motor 26 and its associated equipment for rotating a drill bar 28 suspended from the cable 22. The equipment for rotating the drill bar and the manner of raising and lowering the drill bar are Well known in the art. This equipment and its operation are therefore not described herein in detail.

A rock bucket 30 of the present invention is attached to the drill bar 28, as shown in FIGURE l. The rock bucket comprises a cylindrical drum or casing 32 within which a rectangular frame or crosshead 34 is slidable in rectangular guideways 36 and 38. The guideways are diametrically positioned within the upper portion of cylindrical casing 32 and the end portions of cross head 34 are slidably received in the guideways.

Drill bar 28 is square in cross-section and is adapted to be received in a coupling or socket 42 which extends from `the upper member of cross head 34. Teeth 44 are formed on the lower circular edge of casing 32 and serve to cut or dig into the earth as the rock bucket is rotated.

A pair of arcuate jaws 46 and 48 are provided within casing 32. The arcuate conguration of the jaws conforms to the curvature of the casing and the jaws are adapted to fit closely against the inner surface of the casing. Cutting teeth are provided at the lower edges of the jaws and serve to assist in earth drilling and to prevent jamming of the jaws in the earth when the jaws are in4 the positions shown in FIGURE 4. Each jaw is tapered, as shown, and each is hinged to the lower end of a guideway at a point relatively far removed from the lower edge of the casing. The jaws 46 and 48 are attached to hinges 52 and 54 and are pivotally attached by links 56 and 58 to the lower frame member of cross head 34. Link 56 is pivoted at its lower end to a lug 60 on jaw 46 and is pivotally connected at its upper end to a lug 62 on a lower frame member of cross head 34. Link 58 is similarly pivoted to a lug 66 on jaw 48 and to a lug 66 on the lower frame member of cross head 34.

The rock bucket of the present invention is best utilized when a relatively large rock or other object is encountered during normal drilling operations. The drill bucket is withdrawn from the bore and it is removed from the drill bar. The rock bucket of this invention is then secured to the drill rod 28 and is lowered into the bore being drilled, as shown in FIGURE l. While the rock bucket is being loweredl cross head 34 is in the position shown in FIGURE 5. .laws 46 and 43 are pulled inward because the weight of the drill bucket is supported by the frame, which pulls the jaws into the positions shown in FIGURE 5. When the bucket comes to rest, jaws d6 and 48 are extended outwardly by the downward force of the drill bar and are positioned against the inner surface of casing 32, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. The rock bucket is rotated by drill bar 2S, which is operated by the conventional equipment hereinbefore mentioned. Teeth 44 on the casing cut into the earth around the rock and the rock bucket thus drills down about lthe rock to a position such as that indicated in FIGURE 5. The jaws 46 and 43 are in confronting relation on opposite sides of the rock. Upward force is exerted on the drill bar to cause cross head 34 to move upward in its guideways and to transmit forces through links 56 and 53 which urge the jaws inwardly to grasp and hold the rock, as shown in FIGURE 5. The jaws are positioned for grasping and retaining the rock by the downward cutting of the rock bucket about the rock.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that upward lifting of the rock bucket automatically urges the jaws inward to grasp a rock so that the rock is lifted with the rock bucket. It will also be understood that the jaws are hinged at points suiliciently distant from the lower edge of the rock bucket that the jaws are enabled to grasp a rock and secure it entirely within the rock bucket after the rock bucket has cut into the earth about the rock.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the advantages and merit of the improvements and novel principle represented by the rock bucket of the present invention. Al` though relatively simple, the construction is positive in action and practical in operation. Great economy of time and labor, as well as other advantages, are effected by this invention.

Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only; it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto, as many Variations will be readily apparent to those versed in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest possible interpretation within the scope of the appended claims.

The inventor claims:

l. A rock bucket apparatus comprising cylindrical casing means having digging teeth at the lower edge thereof, means for rotating the casing means, means comprising a pair of grasping jaws mounted within the casing and connected to rotate therewith, said jaws being adapted to be positioned against the inner surface of the bucket to permit the bucket upon rotation to cut about an object in the ground, and means for moving the rotating means axially to urge the jaws inwardly from said inner surface to grasp the object, whereby the object may be lifted with the rock bucket.

2. A rock bucket apparatus comprising a cylindrical casing having digging teeth on its lower edge, means for rotating the casing, means comprising a pair of coop- CII erating grasping jaws hingedly mounted within the casing and connected to rotate therewith, each of said jaws being arcuate in configuration to conform to the `shape of the inner surface of the casing, said jaws being normally positioned against the inner surface of the casing to permit the casing upon rotation to cut about an object in the ground, and means for moving the rotating means axially to urge the jaws from said inner surface to grasp the object, whereby the object may be lifted with the rock bucket.

3. A rock bucket apparatus comprising a cylindrical casing having digging teeth on itsl lower edge, means for rotating the casing, a pair of grasping jaws mounted by hinged connections within the casing and normally positioned against the inner surface of the casing, each of said jaws being arcuate in conguration to conform to the inner surface of the casing, each of said jaws having digging teeth on its lower edge, thereby facilitating earth cutting about an object in the ground, and means for urging the jaws inwardly to grasp the object, whereby the object may be lifted with the rock bucket.

4. A rock bucket apparatus comprising a cylindrical casing having digging teeth on its lower edge, a pair of grasping jaws hingedly mounted within the casing and connected to rotate therewith, said jaws being normally positioned against the inner surface of the casing to permit the casing upon rotation to cut about an object in the ground', a cross head vertically movable within the casing and attached to a drill bar for lifting and rotating the casing, and linkage means interconnecting the cross head and the hinged jaws to urge the jaws inwardly upon the exertion of upward force on the drill bar.

5. A rock bucket apparatus comprising a cylindrical casing having digging teeth on its lower edge, means for rotating the casing, a pair of confronting jaws within the casing, each o-f said jaws being hingedly mounted at a suliicent distance from said lower edge of the casing that the lower edge of the jaw is within the casing, each of said jaws being arcuate in configuration and being adapted to lit against the inner surface of the casing, each of the jaws having digging teeth at its lower edge and linkage means connected with the jaws for urging them inwardly about their hinged mountings, whereby after the rock bucket is rotated to cut about an object in the ground said jaws may be urged inwardly from the surface of the casing to grasp the object, whereby the object may be lifted with the rock bucket.

6. A rock bucket apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the arcuate lower edge of each of said jaws extends less than half the circumference of said lower edge of the casing, and wherein each of said jaws is tapered from its arcuate lower edge to its hinged connection.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 109,028 Lindley Nov. 8, 1870 872,093 Stewart Nov. 26, 1907 1,507,283 Hanna Sept. 2, 1924 1,963,282 Cavins July 3l, 1934 

